Contemplating an escape for him and his brethren had taken the forefront of Kaj's mind, the mantle that he gazed upon every eve. It was a problem that had become part of even his dreams, keeping him tied down to the earth and forcing him into restless nightmares that he would never admit to. Even as his exhaustion lagged, seeping down upon him like sap, the King kept his chin high and eyes focused. His people needed him, and though the fate he was slowly revolving towards was one that his kin may not appreciate, it was the only one Kaj could think of when it came to saving them. No matter their objections, unless they could offer up an alternative, Kaj had scoured his brain into numbness searching for an answer. No matter how they may hate him, it was his job to keep them safe. And so he would.

Though he groaned to think of patrolling that morning, considering the aches and pains of his body, there was no other alternative. It was too last minute to ask for a replacement, and that would tip off his family that he was running at less than perfection. So the sunny stallion shook his mighty frame, stretched his aching knees, and set out on the well-worn path round the borders. He was solitary in his rounds, and for a moment he merely enjoyed the warm morning, the hours before the sun intensified and burned away what little of the mist remained creeping along the bases of the trees.

Birds heralded his arrival, ever conscious of the passerby beneath the boughs. Sunlight streamed in through the cracks of the cover above, playing in shafts that decorated the forest floor in odd, attractive patterns. It was a beautiful morning, one Kaj breathed in, seeking to draw it into his lungs and imprint it into his pores. It gave him life, chased away the demons that pursued him in the nightly hours. The brevity of his nightmares never seemed to matter, for they lingered with him long after he'd jolted awake. It was why he slept so little, worked so much. If he were ever to fall to slumber, to the arms of Morpheus in his ever-reaching possession of the King, it would only be to conjurations of Lucifer that he would fall into.

A voice broke through the pattern of his thoughts, golden aurals swiveling to place the position of the speaker. A whinny broke through his surroundings, its birthplace his chest, a promise of his swift arrival. Swift it was, the massive, mountainous man cantering down the easy path behind the decimated walls to where the tiny figure sat awaiting him. Slowing, Kaj regarded the tiny filly with distinct intrigue, and not a lack of concern that twisted and disfigured the royal set of his brow. Why was she so far from home, where was her mother, her father? Why was she wandering in the wilds with no soul to keep watch over her innocence?

"You are at the borders of the World's Edge, young miss Tempe. My name is Kaj, I am the King of these lands." His regal voice was soft even in its proper structure, eyes like warm summer skies as they gazed down at the tiny thing at his borders. Alone. Lost. "Tell me child, where is your family? It is not safe to wander the wilds alone," he murmured, moving towards her only to stop a respectful distance away. There was no telling how she would receive his worry, his well-meaning chiding.

@[Tempe]

Big eyes stared up at him, awe written in the fissures of her colorful irises. Kaj smiled, chuckling softly to himself to see her innocence painted so plainly upon her face. It was rejuvenating, and he felt a fondness for her guileless nature already forming in those first tender moments of meeting. Ah, but Kaj knew he was a sucker for foals, who was he kidding? It had as much to do with her honesty as it did her age, and the King would never be able to deny it in good faith. There was simply something about foals that kept him tethered to their sides, loving them, protecting them, nurturing them. Though he'd once thought of telling Kahlua that he could love her without ever having a child with her, Kaj could finally see that such a thing was never a possibility. His love for the little souls, the new lives, was too strong for him to give up having it for his own someday.

To hear the blunt, careless words fall from the child's lips was painful. It would have been different had she defended her mother, but it was all the clearer that this Arvakl was an unfit mother if Tempe did not even see the need to lie. Was she unaware of how abnormal her situation was? Then again, Helovia was nothing like Kaj's homeland. Even a foal born of an affair was a treasure, priceless and valued beyond belief. Tempe's situation would never have occurred in his old home, and it hurt to see her history repeated so often before his eyes, even within the realm at his back, the one he reigned over.

A frown pulled at his lips, eyes soft with concern and sadness in equal, warring amounts. "I am sorry that you have been treated so ill by the soul who was supposed to love you unconditionally, kleine zwerver." Kaj wondered if it would matter to her, his words, or if she knew so little of how sad her situation was that she'd wave it off with a smile and a laugh that would only weigh his heart all the further. Instead, as she shoved forward her companion, Kaj managed a smile for both her and the creature before him. Bending his neck down to Tempe's level, he gazed at Haruki, smiling warmly. "It is nice to meet you Haruki," he said directly to the kitsune, then turned and winked cheerily at Tempe. "He is a beautiful friend, I am sure he loves you just as much." Kaj could not adequately understand the bond between the two, but he did not doubt the love flowed both ways. Perhaps that was a comfort to the wandering lass.

Bucephalus. Kaj wracked his mind for any mention of the stag, but he shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, little one, but I don't know him. I know of his leads, though. Gaucho, Sohalia and Tandavi?" Though it seemed Tempe wouldn't know them, if her next words were anything to go by. Kaj couldn't help the awful expression that crossed his face before he could properly keep it in check. What the hell? Why would they keep the foal out just because the mother was a nuisance? Surely they had wetnurses available, or milkweed! Something! If the mare was a problem, surely they would see that Tempe would be in trouble as well!

"That is unacceptable," he growled softly, eyes alight with lightning fury on her behalf. "You are not your mother, you should not be punished. You could die out in the wilds alone, zwerver. If you ever need a place to stay, to be safe, you are welcome here in the Edge. You can stay with me personally, we will feed you and keep you warm at night." There was not a single regret in extending that right to her, and Kaj would not listen to any objections against it. Wings shuffled and extended in a grand display, motioning to the entirety of the lands that stretched out endlessly to his sides and behind him. He quieted his voice, not wanting to scare her, and tucked his wings close, dropping his head to the child's level. He was not above her, would not let her think he was. "If there is ever anything I can do for you, just ask. Okay?" A warm smile stretched his pale golden lips, warm summer sky eyes falling upon her form like a blanket of reassurance.

klein zwerver - little wanderer
zwerver - wanderer

@[Tempe]